


Jace to the Rescue

by IntrovertedRavenclaw



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Good Parabatai Jace Wayland, Sibling Fluff, Sick Alec Lightwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 20:43:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16353974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntrovertedRavenclaw/pseuds/IntrovertedRavenclaw
Summary: He remembers being sick as a kid, his skin feeling hot and prickly as his mother tucked him into bed and warned Jace and Isabelle to stay out of his room, or they might get sick too. Of course, Jace had snuck in anyway. Jace had sat in bed with Alec all night, while he was up coughing and his aches and pains made it hard to sleep. It feels a bit like that now, as Jace sits down on what would normally be Magnus' side of the bed and tries to figure out how to make Alec feel better.Alec gets sick while Magnus is out of town and it's Jace to the rescue.





	Jace to the Rescue

 

Alec thinks he might be dying. Or maybe he's been cursed by a demon. He wakes up to his head pounding mercilessly at the sound of his alarm, he can't breathe through his nose, and when he takes a deep breath through his mouth, he coughs harshly. He tries to sit up, then decides that it's too much effort when he realizes the heavy ache in his muscles, so he reaches his arm out to the nightstand, fumbling for his phone.

Alec closes his eyes, wishing for the throbbing in his temples to die down just a little bit. He knows he should probably drink some water, or maybe take his temperature, but he can't bring himself to move. He's so tired and doesn't even have the strength to lift his head off of the pillow right now. He could sleep, but he doubts he'd be able to with the pain in his head and his throat and his... well, everything. Alec coughs, wincing as it aggravates both his headache and his sore throat. He wants Magnus, but Magnus is away somewhere- Alec can't remember where- with other warlocks, working on new spells, potions, and forms of magic. 

As if Alec's mind has been read, his phone buzzes with a text from Magnus. Alec feels like crying out of relief and misery all at once. 

Alec sighs heavily. He wants nothing more right now, but he can't pull Magnus away from what he's doing. 

Alec shivers hard, pulling the covers tighter around himself. He feels sweaty, but he's not sure how that's possible since he feels so cold. He squeezes his eyes shut when his head throbs and somehow falls back asleep. It's not a peaceful sleep by any means, but it's enough to take the edge off of his headache. He tosses and turns for a few hours until he's woken up by the cat's insistent meowing and his phone buzzing. Alec opens his eyes blearily to Chairman Meow sitting on the edge of the bed. 

"Go away, Chairman," he mumbles, nudging the cat with his foot. Chairman Meow just meows again, the high pitch causing Alec to groan in pain. "What do you want?"

The cat just stares at him for a second, then moves closer to his head and begins pawing at his hair. Alec glowers at him for a second, then sighs in resignation and reaches for his phone. He has a text from Jace, which he replies to and promptly gets a reply back. 

Alec calls Jace, and his parabatai picks up after only one ring. 

"Hey," Jace answers. "How are you doing?"

Alec means to reply with his usual _"I'm fine, don't worry about me, I can take care of myself"_ , but he coughs, hard, and then finds he can't stop. When he finally manages to breathe, he clears his throat and says, "Been better." 

"You sound like you're trying to hack up a lung," Jace says. "Is Magnus there?"

"Magnus is in Europe or... or the Spiral Labyrinth... or something." Alec croaks out. His head throbs painfully, and he closes his eyes. 

"Oh, right," Jace says, but he sounds displeased. "Are you alright by yourself? Do you have everything you need?"

"Actually, I, um..." Alec sniffles. "I kind of can't get my head off the pillow."

"I'm coming over," Jace says.

"You have work to do at the Institute," Alec argues. "It's bad enough that I'm not there, but-"

Jace hangs up. Alec shivers, pulling the covers further over himself. Chairman Meow curls up near his chest, purring and headbutting him affectionately as if he knows Alec isn't feeling well. Alec strokes the cat, trying to ignore the ache in every part of his body and the thick, tickling feeling in his nose and throat until Jace enters the bedroom, his footsteps heavy and loud. Alec winces as the noise sends a shot of pain through his head.

"Well don't you two look cozy." 

"Hey," Alec says softly. Chairman Meow is still curled up on top of his chest but gets up when Jace comes closer to the bed. 

"How're you feeling?" Jace asks, taking a seat on the bed. "I mean, you _look_ terrible." 

"I look about as good as I feel, I think." Alec yawns. "Will you feed Chairman Meow? He's been meowing at me for the past hour."

Jace chuckles. "Sure. Anything else you need? Are you hungry?"

"Not hungry," Alec croaks. "I should probably drink something though."

Jace leaves and the cat follows like he knows he's about to be fed. When his parabatai returns, Alec manages a weak smile. 

"I'm gonna help you sit up first," Jace says, setting a glass of water down on the nightstand. He slides a few extra pillows behind Alec's head and shoulders to prop him up, then hands him the glass of water. "Izzy says to make sure you get lots of fluids. Is this the first thing you've drank today?"

Alec nods. "I was too tired to get up."

"Finish that," Jace instructs. "You're... pretty miserable, huh?"

Alec nods again. He remembers being sick as a kid, his skin feeling hot and prickly as his mother tucked him into bed and warned Jace and Isabelle to stay out of his room, or they might get sick too. Of course, Jace had snuck in anyway. Jace had sat in bed with Alec all night, while he was up coughing and his aches and pains made it hard to sleep. It feels a bit like that now, as Jace sits down on what would normally be Magnus' side of the bed and tries to figure out how to make Alec feel better.

"Tell me how you're feeling?" Jace asks. 

"If you're here," Alec croaks. "Then who's running the Institute?"

"Don't worry about it," Jace says.

"Jace."

The blond sighs. "Izzy is taking care of your administrative stuff while Underhill is covering your patrols. Okay?" Alec nods. "Now tell me how you're feeling?"

"I have a splitting headache," Alec says, sniffling. "My throat is really sore..." He shivers violently, and Jace frowns. 

"Do you have a fever?" He asks. 

"I don't know." Alec sighs. "Is it cold in here?"

Jace shakes his head with a frown and brings the back of his hand to Alec's forehead. "You do feel hot. Do you have a thermometer? Or medicine of any sort?"

Alec shakes his head. "Magnus uses magic for everything. Plus he's a warlock, he can't exactly get sick."

"Okay, I can run to the store and get you something for the fever," Jace says, moving to stand up. He pauses, looking at Alec for a second. "You want me to stay."

"Please," Alec coughs. "How'd you know?"

Jace chuckles. "You're pathetic."

Alec shrugs halfheartedly, sipping his water. "I don't like being alone feeling like this."

"You're gonna need food and medicine though," Jace points out. "I can text Izzy-"

"Don't, she's working." Alec sniffles. 

"The Institute will be fine for one hour, Alec," Jace says. "Just long enough for her to pick up some mundane medications for you and then go back. Deal?"

"Deal," Alec repeats tiredly. 

Alec finishes his glass of water and sits in bed in a fuzzy state that's not quite asleep and not quite awake while Jace meanders around the bedroom, flipping through books here and there. The next thing he knows, Isabelle arrives and she puts her hand on his forehead, sighing sympathetically. 

"Hey," Alec says softly. 

"Did you talk to Magnus?" She asks.

Alec nods. "I told him not to worry about me. He's busy."

"Just... don't be afraid to tell him if you need him," Isabelle says. "You don't have to be miserable by yourself in the loft."

Alec smiles weakly. "Thank you. How's the Institute?"

"Everything is fine," Isabelle reassures him. "I should go, but I gave Jace some food and medicine for you. I'll come back later, okay?" Alec nods.

Jace comes back with a steaming bowl, a rattling bottle, and a box of tissues. He sets everything on the nightstand. 

"Soup," he says. "tissues, and fever reducers. I'll get you some more water. Then you need to take some of the medicine and eat."

When Jace returns back to the bedroom, he sits on the bed next to Alec again, watching.

"Do you really need to watch me eat?" Alec asks. 

"What?" Jace says defensively. "What else am I supposed to look at, the wall?"

Alec huffs, taking another bite of soup. He's finished just over half the bowl when he hands it to Jace. "I can't eat anymore."

"That's better than nothing," Jace says, placing the bowl on the nightstand and picking up the bottle of pills. He reads the label, then shakes two pills into his palm. "It says you're supposed to take two every four to six hours. It'll help with your fever and your headache."

Alec swallows the pills with sips of water. "What time is it?"

"Just after noon," Jace replies. "Do you feel like doing anything? Napping?"

"I don't know," Alec sighs. "I'm tired but I don't feel like sleeping."

"You got a text from Magnus," Jace holds up Alec's phone. 

Alec sneezes unexpectedly, right onto his phone screen. Jace reaches over him for the box of tissues, then sets it in his lap. 

"There you go, snotface," Jace says. Alec laughs, which makes him start to cough. 

Alec blows his nose, wincing at the pain in his head. The medicine hasn't totally kicked in yet, he thinks, so he's really not feeling any better.

"Hey," Jace says. "We should take your temperature." He rifles through the plastic shopping bag that Isabelle brought over, then opens up the packaging for the thermometer and hands it to Alec. Alec puts the device under his tongue, cringing a little at the cold metal. 

"Wow," Jace says, looking at the reading when Alec hands the thermometer back. 

"What is it?" Alec asks.

"You're at 102.1 degrees," Jace says. "Have you ever had a fever that high?"

"I don't know," Alec sighs. "Not recently."

"You should try to sleep some more." 

Alec lets out a heavy sigh. "I hate being sick."

"I don't think you've been this sick _ever_ ," Jace chuckles. "With a mundane illness at least."

Alec shrugs. "I've had the flu before. Granted, it was like eight years ago, but it's happened."

"That's right," Jace says. "Mom tried so hard to keep Izzy and me away from you until you got better, but we snuck in anyway."

"You sat with me all night," Alec recalls. "I couldn't sleep, 'cause I felt so sick, and you sat in my bed with me until I fell asleep." He coughs. "And you're with me now. History repeats itself."

"It's the least I could do," Jace says nonchalantly. "You've taken care of me- and Izzy and Max- through countless sicknesses."

"Remember when you threw up on me?" Alec laughs, then coughs.

"I thought we agreed not to talk about that," Jace throws his hands up. "Go to sleep. When you wake up, the medicine will be working and you'll feel better."

Sure enough, when Alec wakes up, he does feel better. The merciless pounding in his head is just a dull ache, his throat doesn't hurt unless he swallows, and the aches and pains in his muscles have faded too. Jace is sitting on one of the armchairs in the bedroom, and he springs up out of it when he sees that Alec is awake. 

"How're you feeling?" Jace asks.

"Um," Alec clears his throat. "Better." He coughs. "How long was I asleep?"

"A few hours," Jace says. "It's three thirty now."

"Whoa, wait, so you just sat here?" Alec asks. "You could've left or... or something."

"Alec," Jace sighs. "I'm staying. Besides, you're my excuse to get out of work for the day."

"Strangely that doesn't make me feel better," Alec grins. He raises his head off of the pillow a little, pleased that he actually can. 

"Wanna sit up?" 

"Can we move to the couch?" Alec asks. "I'm tired of being in bed."

"Sure. Can you stand?" Jace asks, moving to help him up. 

Alec glares. "I'm not _dying._ " 

"You looked like it earlier," Jace shots back, watching as Alec stands up shakily. His achy muscles protest, but he manages to drag himself to the couch. Jace sits down next to him.

"Might wanna keep your distance," Alec says. "Think I'm contagious."

"By the angel, Alec." Jace shakes his head, throwing an arm lazily around him. "I'm trying to make you feel better. Relax."

Alec sighs, resting his head on Jace's shoulder. "My headache is better."

"Good," Jace says. "Do you need anything right now? Do you think you could try to eat something again?"

"Not hungry," Alec mumbles. Jace shifts positions and he groans. "Stop _moving_."

"Hold on, I'm activating your nourishment rune," Jace says. "That way we won't have to worry about getting you to eat. You have to keep drinking fluids though."

Alec sighs heavily. "I probably need more water but I don't want you to move. You're warm."

"How about I get you a blanket?" Jace suggests. "I'll get you more water, and you're probably due for more medicine."

"Okay," Alec says softly. He's already sleepy again, despite the fact that he's been awake for maybe fifteen minutes. Jace returns with a blanket slung over his arm, a glass of water in one hand, and the thermometer, Alec's phone, and two pills in the other. Alec takes his temperature, and Jace looks visibly relieved.

"Oh, good. The medicine is working." He says. "Speaking of which... Take these and drink this." He hands Alec the pills and the water. "You should also let Magnus know how you're doing. He's probably worried sick."

Alec sips the water, washing down the medicine, and he reaches to take his phone from Jace. He calls Magnus instead of texting this time, and he answers right away.

"Hello," Magnus answers. "How are you doing, darling?"

"Hey," Alec smiles weakly at the sound of his voice. "I'm okay, I guess."

"You sound terrible," Magnus says worriedly. "You're sure you don't want me to-"

"No," Alec interrupts. Earlier in the day, he had been hesitant when Magnus offered to come home. Secretly, Alec had wanted nothing more than his boyfriend looking after him, but now he's truthfully okay. He's warm and comfortable on the couch, and Jace is forcing him to drink water and take medicine while something mundane plays on the TV. "I'm doing much better. Jace is here with me."

 


End file.
